Have you ever stood at the top of a ten-metre diving board and all of a sudden felt your mouth dry up, your muscles tense, and your heartbeat drum in your chest until all you want to do is run? Or have you arrived at the airport only to suddenly be overwhelmed with panic that you’ve left your passport at home on the kitchen bench? That’s anxiety, except the diving board isn't there and the passport is sitting in your back pocket. Anxious feelings are something that are experienced by a lot of us, and they’re a common response to situations where we feel under pressure, but these will usually pass once the stressor has been removed.  Anxiety, however, is more than just feeling stressed and worried, but with the right support, assistance and self-management techniques it can be managed.

Feeling anxious is quite a normal reaction in some circumstances because it can trigger our innate ‘fight or flight’ response, which attempts to protect us from what could be a dangerous situation. Problems with anxiety occur when this reaction happens for no apparent reason and becomes triggered in the wrong circumstances where others don’t share the same sense of anxiety that we do.

This anxiety isn’t just that feeling of worry we get when we know our phone bill is overdue or we think we left the stove on, anxiety disorder itself stems from a more deep-rooted sense of severe worry and dread that can affect the way we function in in our day-to-day life.

Anxiety itself is a group of disorders - panic attacks being the most common - which can lead to a range of different symptoms that present themselves at different levels of severity. Physical symptoms can include hot and cold flushes, quick breathing, a heightened heart rate, tightening of the chest and restlessness. Psychological symptoms on the other hand can present themselves as excessive fear, extreme worry or obsessing thinking. While behavioural symptoms take the shape of avoidance behaviours where those of us affected tend to steer clear of situations that make us feel anxious, leading to impacts on our study habits, work effectiveness and social life.

Symptoms like this can leave us feeling exhausted, having harsh feelings about those around us and struggling to concentrate in normal situations. The good news is that help is easy to find.

Standing up to your inner demons

Fortunately, there are a whole range of methods for treating anxiety disorders, that we can use in the comfort and privacy of our own home, which can help us tackle our symptoms and regain confidence.

Tackle panic with slow breathing. If you’re suffering from a moment of anxiety - stop what you’re doing, hold your breath for ten seconds, exhale and say the word ‘relax’ to yourself. Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth (for three seconds in each direction), saying ‘relax’ to yourself on outward breaths. At the end of each minute, hold your breath for ten seconds. Make sure you keep up this breathing technique until all the symptoms have gone and you feel calm again.

Control anxiety by facing your fears

You can fight your inner demons by gradually confronting the triggering stimuli through conversation, your imagination and direct confrontation. Make sure to do this at manageable levels, while also controlling your anxiety through the slow breathing technique. You should then reward yourself for meeting regularly set goals.

Think straight and solve problems

Make sure to challenge any worrying thoughts you have by looking for evidence as to why your reactions are appropriate and alternatives you could use instead. Also, be aware of bad thinking habits that might creep up on you, like fretting and exaggeration, and make a conscious effort to think through your worries when you’re feeling calm.

Resist avoidance behaviours

While it’s natural to try and avoid the things that make us anxious, making a habit of it can lead to missed opportunities for progress. Before you react on a feeling of worry or fear, take a second to ask yourself first if it’s out of anxiety or out of habit.

Practice meditation

Utilising mindfulness can help you put your mind at ease. You can learn more about managing your thoughts by visiting our meditation sessions on the Benestar Portal.

Exercise regularly

Working up a sweat even once has the power to reduce the symptoms of anxiety, while regular exercise can significantly alleviate their effects over time.

Seek support

If you or someone you know is displaying the symptoms of anxiety or panic disorder, you can seek support through your local GP, mental health organisations like beyondblue and also Benestar’s MyCoach who all have a number of resources on hand to help.

Remember - if you’re suffering from anxiety, you’re not alone and there are a lot of effective methods out there for treating your symptoms, no matter the severity. If you’d like further information or guidance on how to tackle anxiety, then contact MyCoach at Benestar who are always here to help.